Buchanan ‘gutted’ to be ruled out of Czech GP
“Unfortunately, the medical team has advised the wound has a high risk of infection due to the bone being visible so have decided to play it safe and make sure I can recover with no further issues."
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Injury has ruled Southland motorcycle racer Cormac Buchanan out of this weekend’s Moto3 World Championship in the Czech Republic.
The 18-year-old kicked off round 12 in dominant form at the iconic Brno Circuit, claiming third overall in the opening FP1 session, again proving his prowess in challenging wet conditions.
However, a high-side crash at turn one in the following practice left Buchanan with a deep cut to his right knee which required stitches.
“Unfortunately, the medical team has advised the wound has a high risk of infection due to the bone being visible so have decided to play it safe and make sure I can recover with no further issues,” he said.
“I’ve been declared unfit to ride and I respect their decision. I’m grateful we have such experienced medical professionals looking after us in the MotoGP environment.
“To say I am gutted is an understatement. I’m a racer so having to watch the action from the pits is incredibly difficult, but the only thing that truly matters is how we recover from this setback.”
It’s a disappointing way to finish the first half of Buchanan’s impressive rookie season in the world championship ranks – a campaign which has seen the Kiwi earn three top 10 finishes and a best placing of ninth at the demanding Sachsenring circuit in Germany last Sunday.
“Coming into this round we were confident of another strong result to continue the momentum we have been building. We must take the positives and the good feeling I had into the summer break now and focus on my recovery to come back even stronger for the second half of the season,” he said.
“Thanks to my Denssi BOE Motorsports team for all of their hard work and everyone for all the messages of support.”